Now in its fifth year, Vancouver’s one-day festival of sonic chaos presented more than 20 artists* from across Canada and the U.S., divided into two shows at The Hindenberg and The Black Lab last Saturday.

The highlight of the dimly-lit afternoon show at The Hindenberg was HICK’s hypnotic layering of processed vocal manipulations, which demonstrated that a very modest assortment of electronics gear is still sufficient to produce compelling sonic material.

Later, the dark ambient industrial soundscapes crafted by Sistrenatus and the incendiary power-tool electronics of Worker (who, according to a post on the event’s Facebook page, will not be seen again in Vancouver) enthralled a capacity crowd at The Black Lab.

Although several performers lacked for stage presence – or even so much as an introduction – clearly the festival’s longevity is attributable to the strong constitution of Vancouver’s noise community. Our thanks to Anju and all the event staff for five years of audio terror!

*(Note: The gallery below is comprised of as many artists as was possible to photograph while running back and forth across East Hastings to photograph Nothing is Heavy’s 3-Year Anniversary show.)